Continental Airlines apologises to Kalam

Even as Continental Airlines on Wednesday apologised to former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam for “inconvenience caused related to the security check”, it still remains a grey area as to whose territory was the aerobridge, where he was frisked.

The question everyone’s asking: Laws of which country apply after a passenger enters the aerobridge — the country in the territory of which the aircraft is parked, or the country to which it belongs?

“Technically, the aerobridge is attached both to the airport building and the plane. It’s still not clear whether it should be considered part of the plane or the airport,” said a senior official of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), who did not want to be named. The aircraft, however, is treated as being in the jurisdiction of the country to which it belongs.

“We have received the BCAS complaint but have not registered an FIR into the matter yet. We have sought legal opinion on the issue and are ourselves also examining it,” said a senior Delhi police officer who did not want to be quoted.

The Continental Airlines on Tuesday claimed it had no option but to frisk Kalam. “All carriers flying to the US must follow the Transportation Security Administration procedure,” the statement said.